Research Abstracts Online
January 2009 - March 2010

University of Minnesota Twin Cities
College of Biological Sciences
Medical School
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics

PI: Hiroshi Matsuo, Associate Fellow

Structural Studies of APOBEC and HIV Vif

Human APOBEC3G (A3G) is capable of altering the HIV genome by deaminating cDNA cytosines to uracils. This activity can genetically inactivate the virus. As a counter-defense mechanism, HIV promotes the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation of A3G. Degradation requires that A3G interact with the HIV virion infectivity factor (Vif) protein. Current studies have revealed substantial genetic and biochemical details of this host-pathogen conflict, but an atomic level understanding is still lacking. Therefore, the major objectives of this research are to obtain a structural understanding of the DNA cytosine deaminase activity of A3G and of the A3G-Vif interaction.